A Clash of Covens
by EdwardsMate4ever
Summary: Discord is brewing between the two most powerful covens in the world. Who will come out on top? A continuation of The Consequence of Heat. Slash/Violence
1. Prologue

**A/N:** This is a continuation of my story, _The Consequence of Heat_. If you have not read that first, this story will not make sense to you. This prologue is in third person, but the rest of the story will be in various first person points of view. Let it be known that my amazing betas, harrytwifan and remylebeauishot, continue to aid me on this story.

**A Clash of Covens**

**1. Prologue**

Jane, Caius and Marcus were in the library, arguing over their next move in the vengeance of the deaths of their coven members. Jane wanted to act quickly, taking down those who murdered her brother. Caius was also out for blood, so to speak, having lost his friend, Felix, and the eye-candy that was Chelsea, whom Caius had enjoyed ogling. But he enjoyed games of cat and mouse, so he was more willing to prolong the eventual demise of their foes, the Cullen coven.

Nobody missed the arrogance of Aro, who had taken the leadership role upon himself. Caius and Marcus had resented that for centuries, but they were powerless to stop him, as Aro had possessed the most useful ability of the three.

Being mate-less, Marcus had taken it upon himself to comfort Aro's widow, Sulpicia, during her lonely nights. After centuries of celibacy, Marcus had become rejuvenated. Sulpicia had let it slip after one evening of love-making that Aro had been the one who murdered Marcus' wife, Didyme, so any feelings of guilt he may have harbored were quickly washed away.

Here in the library, Marcus had taken the lead, being the most rational of the three.

"For now, we must pretend as though we know nothing," Marcus concluded.

Enraged, Jane rose from her seat and began to pace. "Pretend nothing has happened?! Alec is dead! _Aro_ is dead! Those responsible must be brought to justice!"

"Peace, Jane," Marcus placated her. "They will be expecting us to come now. Our retaliation must be carefully planned. We cannot just swoop in and murder vampires without all of the facts. We do wish to continue our rule, do we not? Remember, we have lost some powerful assets: two strong-arms, a mind-reader, a sensory depriver, and a bond forger. The Cullens are the more formidable coven now, in terms of abilities. Our strategy must be airtight if we wish to continue our reign."

Jane huffed and crossed her arms, but she did not protest.

It was Caius' turn for a rebuttal. "You think our kind won't notice the absence of their leader?" he asked pointedly.

Marcus shook his head. "No, Caius. We have been known to lie low for decades at a time. No one will find a few years of quiet unusual."

"But, the Cullens know he is gone. We must dispose of them before they start an uprising," Caius continued.

Marcus sighed, annoyed. They had already been over this. "The Cullens have made no move toward dominance over our kind. That is not Carlisle's desire."

"It is only a matter of time," Caius muttered.

Jane had been silent long enough. "For how long will we allow them to continue to live freely?"

"For as long as it takes. It is better this way, my dear. Just think—what would Aro do? They expect us to retaliate now. If we wait, they will become complacent. It will be much easier to make them pay."

Caius and Jane shared a sinister smirk. Marcus grinned, satisfied that they had been sufficiently convinced. They would lie in wait...for now.

* * *

**A/N:** In the interest of producing quality chapters, I will not have a set posting schedule, like I did with _CoH_. That being said, there won't be any month-long waits for updates either. I just don't want to make promises I can't keep! I hope you enjoyed this little tease, and will stick around for the rest.


	2. Family Ties

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the lovely reviews - they are so encouraging. I was going to wait until Thursday to post this, but I got impatient, so here it is!  
**

**Chapter 1 - Family Ties**

**Three years later**

**Edward POV**

In the living room of the main house, Rosalie, Tanya and Alice joined Anthony and I. They were mostly chatting about fashion, so I tuned them out and listened to my son's thoughts. He was currently hiding with a box of crayons behind the couch where I sat, drawing a picture that he didn't want me to see until it was done. I obliged, of course, dutifully ignoring his presence. It would've been a nice distraction if the girls had been talking about something interesting, but since they weren't, I let my mind wander.

After the birth of Anthony, my family had been, in equal parts, both overjoyed to have a child amongst us, and nervous about retaliation from the Volturi. With Jake, Anthony and I living in the cottage that Esme had built us, Alice had discovered that she was able to see glimpses of the future. She kept an eye out for any Volturi movements, but after one year passed with nothing significant, she stopped looking so diligently. Now, three years on, we had all breathed a tentative sigh of relief, allowing ourselves to focus more on just being a family. Although, the possible threat still lingered in the back of my mind; I couldn't allow myself to forget completely—I had to always be prepared to protect my son from harm.

Our cousins from Alaska, the Denalis, were frequent visitors and close friends. They were currently visiting our home and had been here for a few weeks. Irina and Kate doted on Anthony, perhaps hoping he might mate with one of them someday. I knew for a fact that the succubi hoped to find a future mate in my son. Of course, Leah would never allow that, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. I was the only one who knew, besides the two women themselves, as was often the case in my experience. Anyway, they both silently worried how I felt about it, realizing that I knew of their intentions. But I didn't mind; let Anthony have the choice of whom to love in that way. He would always keep Leah close in some capacity, but it didn't have to be as lovers. Though, that _is_ what she eventually wanted, and I was certain that she would try to woo him in the future. At present, however, she considered herself his best friend—thoughts of their possible future together were rare and fleeting. But when she slept, Leah often dreamed about being his wife.

Tanya became like another aunt to my son, mirroring the way Rosalie behaved with him. At first, she used Rosalie as a guide; Tanya hadn't been around a child for many centuries and had no idea how to act. But after seeing Rosalie's soft side, which was something _none of us_ had ever seen in all the time we'd known her, Tanya began to embrace being motherly toward my little boy, and she took to it "like white on rice," as Jacob liked to say.

Carmen behaved like your typical caricature of an overly affectionate Latino mother, reminding me a lot of Sophia Vergara in _Modern Family_. Anthony ate it up; he loved being smothered with kisses, and he got a kick out of her accent. Eleazar mainly hung back, more interested in catching up and reminiscing about their time in Volterra with his old friend Carlisle up in his study.

That was fine with me—the Volturi might still come after us one day, and sometimes, Eleazar and Carlisle discussed strategies, just in case. It helped alleviate the burden of that nagging fear that something might go wrong. Even after three years with no apparent action, I still had lingering anxiety. While a few of my family members had chosen to put it all behind them, most of us couldn't quite let it go.

Carlisle hadn't gotten over the fact that he had killed Aro—having never killed another vampire in his long existence, it was a painful memory that he couldn't seem to hurdle—and he was certain that the remaining Volturi wouldn't just let the death of their leader slide by unavenged. Jasper agreed wholeheartedly, convinced that they were merely biding their time. Alice was on alert for any possible activities, so she couldn't completely bury the notion, although she wished she could. And Rosalie worried over the safety of Anthony, so she was also on her guard.

Esme just wanted everyone to be happy and enjoy life, and she put a lot of effort into pretending that there was no looming threat. While sometimes she got on my nerves, on the whole, her effort was strangely soothing. Emmett had always been a carefree spirit, an optimist. He figured that just because Aro and the others didn't return to Volterra, the others wouldn't immediately conclude that they were dead by our hands. There were any number of things that could have gone wrong for them on their way to Washington. Emmett had faith in man's ability to be rational, which was high thinking for Emmett, if not entirely misplaced.

And Jacob, my Jake, he handled the pressure of the threat best of all. His wolf was constantly on alert for any new vampire scents in the area. But his human side was the same as always, fun-loving and as devoted to his son as he was to me. He was a loving father who truly never minded when his son would endlessly ask him "why?" In fact, he thought it was cute, and he was proud that Anthony was so inquisitive for his age. Jacob was born to be a father; he could sing Old McDonald Had a Farm in its entirety countless times without getting annoyed, he was always up for a piggy-back ride, or a tickle war, or just a good old-fashioned snuggle on the couch. Jake was usually Anthony's choice at bedtime, because he always used amusing voices to read Anthony's bedtime stories.

While Anthony looked like he was about ten years old, he was only three years of age mentally—a toddler in a fourth grader's body—his mind not maturing at the same rate his body did. Our son took after Jacob in his humanity; his body functioned as though he were fully human. It seemed that all I contributed were Anthony's green eyes, skin that was tough to penetrate, and some kind of rapid bodily growth gene. Carlisle reassured me that since he had two immortals as parents, it was more than likely that he would stop aging when he reached adulthood. However, that didn't mean he would be ready to use his body as an adult would. By the time he reached eighteen, his mind would only be eleven or twelve—thirteen if we were lucky. For the millionth time, I thanked God we had a boy and not a girl. I couldn't take the stress of a sexually active pre-teen daughter; it was a little easier to swallow and accept with a boy.

At that moment, Anthony came out from behind the couch with his latest artwork. Proudly, he held out the drawing, clutching the red construction paper in excitement, waving it for his aunts to see.

Rosalie, Tanya and Alice all cooed over it, praising his work.

"It's so beautiful!"

"It's a masterpiece!"

"We should hang it on the fridge!"

Smiling broadly, Anthony came running to where I sat, on the opposite couch from the girls. He scrambled up onto the couch beside me and crawled right into my lap, plopping his little butt on my thighs.

Holding up the picture up for me to see, he exclaimed, "Look,_ I _do!"

I studied it for a moment, furrowing my brow dramatically before looking him in the eye.

"Are you sure Papa didn't draw this?"

Anthony giggled and smacked my arm. "No, Daddy!_ I _do!"

"Oh my goodness, it's wonderful! Look at that wolf; it looks just like Papa. And that one looks like Lee-Lee." Anthony nodded emphatically. "They are going to love this. Why don't you go show it to them?"

With a big grin and one goal in mind, Anthony quickly scrambled down from my lap and rushed off toward the garage.

It was then that I noticed the girls staring at me.

"What?" I asked defensively. Alice started laughing inexplicably, which started Rosalie and Tanya giggling. I stared blankly at them; all of their thoughts were consumed by their laughter.

Tanya recovered quicker than the other two, and, through titters, asked, "You knew what Anthony drew?"

"It looked like a blob to me!" Alice guffawed.

"A beautiful blob," Rosalie insisted, "but still a blob."

"Hmph," I scoffed snootily. "Well, I suppose I just have a greater appreciation for art than you do."

* * *

**Jacob POV**

"Hey, Quil, hand me that wrench."

A hand appeared beneath the undercarriage of the car I was tinkering with, holding the tool I needed.

"Thanks, bro." I took the wrench, and Quil's hand disappeared as he went back to working under the hood with Embry.

Since my childhood friends had joined my pack after my separation from Sam, they had loyally followed me as their Alpha, risking their lives at my command. At first, they were a little nervous about the fact that I was gay, but as they got to know Edward, and they watched us interact with each other, they began to see that ours was like any other loving relationship. I didn't blame them for their initial ignorance; we had grown up pretty sheltered on the reservation. Honestly, knowing that I was the top in the relationship—the dominant one—helped them accept having a gay Alpha. What they didn't realize was that Edward's tight ass had me wrapped around his little finger. But, hey…baby steps. I think _that _information would give them a heart attack, even after three years.

Seth and Leah were sitting on stools near the stereo, which was blaring Bon Jovi, talking about having dinner with their mom that evening. They were planning to surprise her by bringing a whole meal to her doorstep. I thought it was really sweet—they hadn't been home in weeks. Seth had initially come up with the plan, of course, being the caring guy that he was.

Seth was never concerned about the things that Quil and Embry wrestled with. Seth had always been an open-minded person, and he accepted Edward ever since we first got together. He even considered the vampire among his friends. Seth was definitely good people.

Suddenly, the scent of my son reached my nose, and I slid out from under the car so I could greet him. I dusted off my clothes and was just wiping my hands on a damp cloth when he burst through the door, clutching some red construction paper in his hands.

"Look, look! I do!" he cried, running up to me. The others gathered around so they could see what Anthony wanted to show me.

He proudly displayed a picture of me and Leah in our wolf forms. I met his hopeful gaze and flashed him a wide smile. "It's beautiful, buddy! It looks just like me!"

Satisfied with my answer, he looked to Leah, who bent down to grasp him in a bear hug.

"I love it! Thank you!" She pulled back, holding him at arm's length and smiled. "We should frame it!"

"Yay!" Anthony cried, clapping his hands.

Leah and Anthony went in search of a frame in Esme's expansive craft storage closet. Turning back toward the car, I was faced by three snickering wolves.

"What are you laughing at?"

Embry chortled. "You can't tell me you actually knew what that picture was of."

Quil and Seth looked at me skeptically. I rolled my eyes at them.

"Of course I know. It was a picture of Leah and me. _She_ knew—open your eyes next time!" I teased.

* * *

**A/N:** Just a fluffy chapter to get us back in the groove. This story is not going to be as long as CoH, so the action is going to get started very soon.

There is a link to a pic of Anthony (age 3, looking 10) on my profile, but i'll post it here too, just replace the DOT and SLASH with actual '.' and '/'

www DOT loupiote DOT com SLASH photos SLASH 3721295905 DOT shtml


	3. The Vision

**A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. Life has been crazy lately, so I haven't had time to reply, which I really apologize for. But please know that every review is appreciated and helps motivate me! And thus, here is another chapter for you :)  
**

**Chapter 2 - The Vision**

**Jacob POV**

At dusk, Edward and I took Anthony to our meadow. We relaxed in the grass and wildflowers, enjoying the crisp autumn air, as our son happily chased fireflies through the expanse of the field.

We were quiet for a while, laughing occasionally at our little boy's antics. I began to notice that Edward's laughs seemed to be a bit forced. Looking over at him, his brow was furrowed, his eyes fixed on Anthony, but he wasn't really watching him. It occurred to me that he was laughing a few seconds after I did, taking cues from me. Something was bothering him.

_What's wrong, hun?_

Edward sighed as though he was disappointed that I had caught on to his distraction.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about…you know."

I did know. Even after three years of inaction, Edward still worried that the Volturi would retaliate against us for killing their friends. Truthfully, the thought nagged at me sometimes too, but I tried to put it out of my mind. Surely, they would have done something by now if that was their plan.

"That's just it," Edward said, replying to my thought. "I feel like they want us to become complacent. Attack when we least expect it."

"Babe, you worry too much. I think Emmett is right—they can't be sure that we had anything to do with their disappearance."

"I just think they would have at least questioned us by now. I'm sure they knew the purpose of Aro's trip here."

"Yeah, but anything could have happened. Maybe they ran across some trouble on their way here. Or maybe they think their friends decided to form a coven of their own. There are a lot of possibilities; I don't think they would immediately jump to thinking that _we_ killed them. Especially knowing Carlisle. Who would suspect him?"

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, you're probably right."

Our attention was drawn by our son's high-pitched squeal. He had spotted a rabbit, and was now chasing it around the meadow, trying to catch it. Anthony was quick, and although the rabbit was giving him a run for his money, I had no doubt he would eventually capture it. While Anthony ate mainly human food, he still thirsted for blood on occasion, and would often hunt small game, first drinking the blood, and then eating the meat. Nothing went to waste when Anthony went on the prowl.

Edward beamed proudly when our son finally caught the rabbit, holding it up in triumph for us to see before digging in.

Edward's little crooked smile always got my blood pumping faster.

_God, what I wouldn't give to have those lips wrapped around my dick right now._

Edward swatted my arm, looking scandalized. "Jacob! Anthony's here," he whispered, scolding me.

"He's not paying attention." I did my best Elmer Fudd impression, "He's hunting wabbit..."

Edward chuckled. He rolled his eyes as I grabbed him by the leg and pulled him toward me, reeling him in for a kiss. As I deepened the kiss with my tongue, he lost himself in it, like he always did, and I started to paw at his back, trying to pull him impossibly closer.

Just as my wandering fingertips brushed over the top of his crack, which was peeking out of his waistband, Anthony cried out, "Get a room!"

Laughing, we broke apart as he approached us, his mouth and hands smeared with the rabbit's blood.

"And where did you learn to say that?" I asked him.

"Unca Emmit." Edward and I shared an exasperated look as Anthony continued. "You boys," he said pointedly, his hands on his hips. "Boys don't kiss."

Edward took the reins on that one. "That's not always true, baby. Your daddies kiss because we love each other very much. And that's perfectly okay."

"Will I kiss a boy one day?" our son queried, cocking his head to the side.

"A boy or a girl...whoever you want."

Anthony nodded, deep in thought. This was territory I didn't want Anthony to think too hard about at his age, so I surprised him with a tickle-fest. It was a perfect distraction, and soon, the three of us were all tickling each other, laughing and squealing, rolling around in the grass.

Suddenly, Edward stiffened and our joy was swiftly interrupted by the abrupt appearance of Alice.

"Hi, Auntie Al!" Anthony cried.

Alice acknowledged him with a tight smile, but her eyes were filled with fear as she looked furtively between Edward and me. When she spoke, her voice sounded distant, haunted.

"They have a plan."

I heard a gasp ring out in the quiet meadow. It took me a second to realize that I was the one who had made the sound. Swiftly, I struggled to control my concern in front of our son.

"What sort of plan?" I asked, trying to mask my nerves.

"The vision was blurry; I don't know exactly who it involves or how they intend to make it happen."

"Make _what_ happen?" I was getting frustrated now, not knowing what was going on.

Alice's eyes shifted towards Anthony, who was listening with interest. Following her gaze, I began to realize that their plan involved the safety of our son. My body started to tremble with rage.

Edward quickly turned to Anthony with a big smile and, in a chipper voice, said, "Anthony, you know what time it is? Time for Thomas the Tank Engine!"

Anthony squealed with joy and clapped his hands, before jumping to his feet and running toward the direction of the house. We were hot on his heels, not willing to let him out of our sight.

* * *

**Edward POV**

The whole run home, I couldn't get Alice's vision out of my head. It was very blurry, but one thing was quite clear:

_A pale white hand clamped over Anthony's mouth, his body struggling to break free._

As we approached the house, Carlisle was already outside waiting for us. Having been briefed about Alice's vision while she was retrieving us, Leah came out of the house and quickly ushered Anthony inside to watch Thomas and Friends with the pack, promising cookies that Esme had baked for them. They would protect him inside for the time being.

When they were gone inside the house, Carlisle looked at the three of us with wide eyes.

_I knew. I knew they would do something eventually. I just never expected it to involve the boy. _

Jacob wasted no time in walking right up to Alice. He stood mere inches in front of her, pointing an angry finger. "Okay, what the fuck is going on?" Jacob demanded in a hushed tone.

Alice looked to me for help. I guess it was going to be up to me to break the bad news.

"Jake, don't be angry at Alice. She's only the messenger."

Reluctantly, he relaxed his stance and took a few steps back from her, turning to face me with his arms crossed over his chest.

I continued, framing what I'd seen as gently as I could. "Alice saw a vision of Anthony, with a hand covering his mouth. It was pale...the hand of a vampire. I think they intend to take him from us."

I avoided the word "kidnap," but it didn't do any good. A pained expression crossed his features as he clutched a hand to his chest.

"Oh my God..." he moaned.

Carlisle stepped forward. "It's going to be alright, Jacob. Anthony has a lot of protection here. Tonight, he'll sleep in Edward's old room, and we'll have a family meeting to start forming a strategy. But for now, let's put on a brave face, for Anthony's sake."

Jacob nodded, unable to speak. Wrapping my arms around his waist to support him, I led him inside, where we pretended that everything was all right until Anthony went to bed.

* * *

A few hours later, two covens of vampires and one wolf pack were packed tightly into the living room. Seventeen different mental voices screamed with worry, giving me a headache. They were all thinking the same thing: How were we going to protect Anthony, when we had no clear idea of how and when and _who_ would be doing the kidnapping?

Ideas were kicked around, but none of them stuck. Honestly, I could barely focus. Carlisle steered the conversation, with the Denalis, Emmett and Jasper participating the most in the verbal discussion. Carlisle and Eleazar contemplated calling some old contacts in Europe to keep an eye on Volturi activities, but they decided against it, unwilling to allow a friend to be caught and called a spy.

In the end, there were only theories and conjecture—nothing concrete. It was decided that we would have to be hyper-vigilant about Anthony, never allowing him to be alone without either a vampire or wolf by his side. Leah suggested that their small pack take up patrolling the grounds, which was unanimously agreed upon.

Having been silent for the entire evening, Quil spoke up during a lull in the discussion. "We've got to ask Sam to help."

Jacob let out a heavy sigh. "He'd never agree. He barely tolerates us as it is."

"Yes, his acceptance of Anthony is tenuous at best," I added.

As if on cue, Jacob's phone began to ring. He glanced at the caller ID briefly before bringing it up to his ear.

"Hey, Dad. What's up?" My wolf did a good job of sounding cheery.

With our superior hearing, the rest of the room had no trouble listening to both sides of their conversation.

"Great news, son. Paul asked Rachel to marry him!"

"Oh yeah? What did she say?" he asked, a hard edge to his tone. Jake was never very fond of Paul.

"Yes, of course, you rascal," Billy teased.

Jake sighed. "Guess Paul will officially be my brother now."

"Yes, you'd better get used to the idea. We're going to have a bonfire on Friday night to celebrate. You should come, but don't be a sourpuss, be supportive of your sister. You can bring Edward, too; I cleared it with the other Elders. Might be a bit late to bring the baby, though."

It was Wednesday today. Two days until we could talk to Sam, face to face, and plead our case for his assistance.

"Okay, yeah. That sounds great," Jacob replied casually.

"Wonderful. Come to First Beach at around 7 o'clock, okay?"

"Okay, Dad. See you then."

As Jacob pressed the "end" button on his phone, his eyes met mine. We shared a knowing look, as the rest of the room's occupants echoed our thoughts: The perfect opportunity to approach Sam had just landed in our laps.


	4. The First Move

**Chapter 3 - The First Move**

**Wednesday evening**

**Caius POV**

It had taken years of careful planning, but the time for vengeance was nigh.

Knowing the Cullens had a seer in their ranks, we had to be extremely vigilant. We knew that Alice's ability only worked with vampires or humans that she had previously encountered, and she had met Marcus and me decades ago, when Aro had insisted on paying a visit to our old colleague, Carlisle. It was on that trip that we discovered the existence of the seer, the mind-reader and the emotional manipulator—all formidable members of Carlisle's precious so-called family.

Not long after Aro's death, we came to the conclusion that new vampires needed to be involved to skirt the seer issue and help us carry out our revenge. Marcus sought, and turned, a promising robotics engineer, as well as a gifted scientist, the first chance he got. Once they were past that first bloodthirsty year, Jane explained the situation and left them to devise a tool to aid in our retribution. She told them not to show us their results until the project was in effect, not wanting to allow the Cullens any chance at foresight.

Today, Wilhelm and Roberto had finally told us of their invention, which had already been implemented the day prior. Roberto had designed a swarm of robotic insects resembling mosquitoes. The bugs were programmed to hone in on the genetic makeup of vampires. Roberto had sealed the insects into a parcel that was sent to an unsuspecting human in Forks; someone who had ordered a shipment of grapes from a vineyard nearby. When said human opened the box, the swarm would emerge and set out to find their targets. The human would think it was merely an accident in the shipping department—an errant egg sac that hatched en route. That sort of thing happened all the time.

When the mosquitos found their targets, they would land on their skin and leave behind a tiny adhesive chip that contained a mind control pheromone designed by Wilhelm, which, when released via an on-site control panel, would compel the vampire to do our bidding. The chip also contained a camera, and the images would be streamed to screens in our control room. The bugs were programmed to return to Volterra after planting the chips on their targets.

The mind control pheromone could be individually activated from the control panel. With the help of the cameras, we would be able to watch their movements and choose the most effective vampire to carry out our plan.

It was a brilliant plan. Wilhelm and Roberto were immediately gifted with the dark robes of our inner circle, which they donned with great pride.

After the presentation of the invention and the robes, Marcus, Jane and I retired to the library to decide on an avenue to take with this creation. With the package scheduled to arrive sometime today, we needed to decide immediately. It wouldn't matter if the seer figured out our plan now, as it would already be in action. Still, we avoided the topic of the insects, and focused on the desired result.

Once we were alone, Jane clapped her hands, unable to contain her excitement. She looked very much like the little girl she always would be, finding joy in the pain of others. She was similar to myself in this way; I enjoyed the feeling of power I got when I watched stupid vampires grovel at my feet.

"A most brilliant plan, I must admit," Marcus said, as stoic as ever.

A wide grin spread across my face. "Now to consider what we should do with this advantage."

"We will be able to see and hear all that goes on in their home," Marcus offered.

"And we can make them do whatever we choose. We could have them kill each other!" Jane cried. She was getting a bit out of control, but I didn't mind. I liked where her mind was headed.

"We could," Marcus replied, stroking his chin.

"But that would deny us the opportunity to watch them squirm," I interjected. There was no way I was going to let them take each other out. Carlisle annoyed the hell out of me with his "morals." I wanted to be the one to end his life.

Jane agreed with me. "Yes, that would be much more fun."

We were silent for a time as we considered what we could do. I was considering a sneak attack. The insects had cameras, so we would see their whereabouts and learn their daily routines; we could easily infiltrate on their home turf and hopefully have the element of surprise. But no, that would take too much time. The seer would surely warn them as we traveled, and they could make an escape. Temporarily stymied, I let out a heavy sigh.

Jane began to laugh rather maniacally, pounding a fist on the antique table, causing it to splinter. Marcus frowned disapprovingly; the table was a favorite of his.

"I've got it!"

"And what is it?" I prompted.

"A perfect plan. Why did Aro go to Forks in the first place? To see if the rumors of the pregnant vampire were true. I think it is safe to say that they _were_. So, an eye for an eye." She sat back with her arms crossed, smiling smugly.

"Have them kill the child?" Marcus queried.

Jane rolled her eyes. "No. The mind control chips are individually activated. Activate the chip on the vampire that minds the child, and program said vampire to bring the child to us. The others are certain to follow."

I sucked in a sharp breath, shocked by her brilliance. A vengeful mind is a brilliant mind.

"Yes," I agreed. "Surely, they will flock to Volterra, to save their precious little freak child."

"All of them will come. Of that, I am certain." Jane grinned devilishly.

Marcus nodded. "I like it. Caius?"

"I love it."

Jane beamed with pride. It was then that we smelled Roberto rapidly approaching the library, and a moment later, his head was poking around the door.

"I apologize for interrupting, but the package has arrived."

I shared a devious smirk with my colleagues before we sped after Roberto, following him eagerly to the lab.

The screens in the control room only showed the inside of the box; deep red grapes and brown cardboard. But the voice of a woman could be heard, muffled through the cardboard, but obviously excited by the arrival of her grapes. There was a rustling as she opened the package, and suddenly, light poured in. In a swirl of motion, the bugs flew out of the box. The woman screamed as she was swarmed by the insects, her arms flailing about. It was quite comical. She rushed over to the window and, throwing it open in disgust, the bugs were freed.

We watched in rapt attention as the bugs zipped through the air in search of their vampire targets.

* * *

**Early Thursday, 2:30 a.m.**

**Alice POV**

In the wake of our all-night discussion, we all came to the conclusion that we ought to take it in turns to go hunting, so we would be sufficiently fed for a while and wouldn't have any distractions in the protection of Anthony. I felt so helpless, not being able to see who the kidnapper was, but found some satisfaction that, at the very least, we knew it would be a vampire. There were a lot of us—I felt confident that we could thwart the abductor's plan.

It was decided that the women would go now, Edward would feed later today ahead of the engagement party, and the men would go the following evening, while Edward and Jacob were in La Push.

Denali and Cullen women set out in a group, determined to find a herd quickly so we could return before much time had passed. None of us wanted to be gone too long; our nerves were too rattled to enjoy the thrill of the hunt tonight.

A herd was forthcoming, about twenty miles from home. The group was large, more than enough to sate us all—we were lucky. We descended on the unsuspecting animals, intent on drinking our fill. As my teeth tore into the neck of my second doe, a strange buzzing sound filled the air. Not pausing my feeding, I peered up through my eyelashes, trying to pinpoint the source of the unfamiliar sound.

And then I saw it. A swarm of insects were headed straight for us. They appeared to be mosquitoes. This wouldn't normally surprise me—mosquitoes fed on blood too, after all—but it was odd, because all life forms usually avoided vampires, insects included.

The bugs swept in, surrounding us; some even landed on our bodies. I felt one land on my back, and I shook it off, emitting a low growl in warning. The others followed my lead, and soon the swarm dissipated, sufficiently frightened off.

Wiping my blood-stained lips with the back of my hand, I rose from my kill to find the others doing the same. Our eyes met, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Well, that was weird," Rosalie retorted.

"Must have been a mentally retarded batch of mosquitoes," Kate said, the corner of her mouth tugging up into a small smirk.

"Or just seriously hungry. Hungry enough to throw caution to the wind," Tanya suggested.

Shrugging it off, we swiftly buried the evidence of our massacre before heading back home.

* * *

**A/N: A couple of announcements:**

First, I sincerely apologize for the lack of review replies. Real life has been so busy and any free moment I have, I choose to write with it. I figure you would rather have a new chapter than a review reply. I'll do my best to keep up, but if I can't, I will at least answer any questions posed in a review.

Second, I'm writing for the **Slash Backslash 4.0** contest! It's a little different this year – it's anonymous! So head on over and read the stories! Submissions are being extended to September 17th…so get reading! There are Art entries this year too; lots of great stuff! I'll be sure to remind you again once voting begins!

slashbackslash DOT livejournal DOT com

And finally, my one-shot, The Pretense of Dominance and Control, has been nominated for an **Emerging Swan Award**, which are awards given to underappreciated works! The category is Best Vamp Volturi/Nomad/Non-Cullen (any pairing). Voting starts TODAY for one-shots! If you liked the story, please head over to vote!

emergingswanawards DOT blogspot DOT com


	5. The Engagement Party

**Chapter 4 - The Engagement Party**

**Friday evening**

**Jacob POV**

It was the big day; the day I was returning to the Rez for the first time since Anthony's birth. And for my sister's engagement to _Paul, _of all people.

Edward chuckled as he straightened the lapels of his suit jacket in the mirror. My mate was looking rather sharp, as he always did. He smiled slightly and looked away, embarrassed. If he could blush, he would surely be now.

"Shut up," he whined, pouting.

Shooting him a smirk, I steered my thoughts elsewhere. I was nervous about meeting up with Sam. When Edward got pregnant, Sam had reviled us and sought to kill our baby. He changed his mind at the last second (mainly by Emily's urging, Edward told me later), and he and the pack had helped us when the Italian vampires attacked us. But that was the last I'd seen him. I'd gotten updates from my dad when he would visit, but I hadn't spoken to or seen Sam in three years. As Edward had said at the meeting two nights ago, our understanding was tenuous at best. I was sure Sam wouldn't appreciate seeing me today, especially when I was asking for his help again—asking him to put his pack at risk for the wellbeing of the very creature he'd originally wanted dead.

Edward strode over to me, looking concerned, and began to fidget with my shirt collar. "Well, he _did_ help kill a bunch of vampires whose 'family' is now out for revenge. He should feel a sort of obligation to help us now."

I nodded. "I'll be sure to mention that." Meeting his gaze, I thought, _I'm worried about you, too._

Edward's brow furrowed. "Worried about me? Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. They hate vampires, you especially? And Jared will definitely be there, and I know he's going to think mean things at you."

Grasping my shoulders emphatically, he said, "Don't worry. Rosalie thinks mean things about me all the time. I can handle it."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," I replied, pulling him in for a kiss.

We were rudely interrupted by the arrival of Embry. Of course, we had asked him to return from patrol to give us an update before we left, but that didn't make it any less annoying.

"Geez, guys, keep it in your pants for five seconds," Embry teased, his hands on his hips.

Edward pulled away first and shot the wolf a smile. It was infectious, and I found myself smiling, even though I kinda wanted to deck Embry right then.

"So? Anything?" I asked.

"We haven't sighted or scented any foreign vampires in the area. I think it's safe to say you're all clear to go."

I huffed, somewhat disappointed. Part of me just wanted to forget the whole thing. "Great."

"Don't wanna?" Embry queried.

I just shrugged. I didn't feel like explaining. Besides, Embry already knew how I felt about this trip—he'd seen it through the mental link on our last patrol.

"Well then. We should be going," Edward said, holding his hand out to me. I stepped forward and slid my hand in his, twining our fingers together.

_Let's do this thing._

* * *

Before we left, we made sure Anthony's aunts were up to the task of his safety while we were gone. I know it sounds sexist to say that I was worried that the men were going to be hunting while we were gone, but I was. I mean, I know that woman vampires are just as strong and fast as the men are. Leah isn't any less strong than the rest of the pack, for example. Even so, a part of me was relieved that my pack would continue to patrol the area tonight.

Arriving at the beach as dusk fell, there was little risk of Edward sparkling. At least that would make him less noticeable, although his pale white skin was enough to make him stick out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately, we were immediately greeted, if you can call it that, by Jared.

"I see you brought your parasitic lover to our little celebration of love," the asshole taunted, making my skin bristle.

Edward glared at him, murder in his eyes. He did not appreciate that little epithet. And damned if I was going to let Jared get away with calling him that, along with whatever other vitriol he was spewing in his head.

"Yeah, I did. Who the fuck else would I bring?"

Jared just stared at me with a stupid expression, so I continued. "I certainly don't want to spend my night hanging out with _you_," I said pointedly. Jared's eyes flashed at the insult. "Edward and I are a package deal now. Get used to it."

All Jared could do was shrug as he turned on his heel and walked off toward his buddy—and my soon-to-be brother-in-law—Paul. But not before returning Edward's heated glare.

As he retreated, I squeezed Edward's hand. _You okay?_

"Fine."

Holding onto Edward's hand tightly, I spotted my dad and my sister, and we started to make our way through the crowd to greet them.

Conversations stopped as we passed, heads turning to look at the pair of freaks that dared to show their faces on the Rez. A quick look around revealed that Sam was nowhere in sight; we'd have to seek him out later. Now was the time for pleasantries.

"Little bro!" Rachel cried, throwing her arms around me in a bear hug. "Long time, no see! Hey, Edward!" She greeted my mate like he was just a regular guy. That was why Rachel was always my favorite sister.

Edward and I congratulated her, and the four of us made small talk, pretending like I hadn't been gone for years. It was really refreshing, actually. I'd forgotten how much I used to love bonfires on the beach with my family and friends. Too bad most of these guys weren't my friends anymore.

Thankfully, Paul avoided us like the plague, preferring to hang out with Jared and a few others, although I did catch a few sidelong glances in our direction. Soon, Rachel was distracted by the arrival of some of her friends, so Edward and I broke off from their little group and made small talk with people we didn't know; people who didn't know _us_. I grabbed some food and we hung around, quietly watching the crowd around us get steadily more tipsy. But still, there was no sign of Sam.

Not long after, my father called for attention. Everyone gathered around the bonfire and listened to him give a heartwarming speech of congratulations. Edward gently nudged me with his elbow as my father was speaking, and tilted his chin slightly to the right, looking across the fire. He'd spotted Sam, looking reserved, with Emily by his side. He'd spotted us too, and he seemed uncomfortable that we were there, shifting on his feet. Emily met my gaze and gave me a smile and a tiny wave, which I returned.

Applause erupted around us—I guess my dad had finished. The crowd started to disperse, to grab more food and restart their conversations. I watched as Sam started walking away down the beach, pulling Emily along behind him.

"It's now or never," Edward said, and we started off behind them.

Sam sensed us following him, of course, but he continued to walk until we were a safe distance from the revelers. Then, he whirled around, his face drawn in annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" he demanded.

My responding tone was clipped. "We were invited. My sister got engaged, or hadn't you heard? Besides, I don't remember being exiled."

Sam huffed. "After all these years, I assumed you'd banished yourself."

"Well, I didn't. But it's not like I get a warm welcome when I show up, do I?"

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and glanced at Emily, who shook her head slightly and looked down at the ground. Sighing, he asked, "Why did you follow us? What do you want?"

Edward and I shared a quick glance, and he nodded at me, encouraging me to speak up. He squeezed my hand in a show of support as I started to speak.

"Remember when we killed those vamps in the clearing by the river?"

"How could I forget?"

"Well, it seems that their friends are out for revenge. Alice had a vision of Anthony getting kidnapped—" Emily let out a horrified gasp, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. "—but the kidnapper wasn't clear. She could only see a white hand. A vampire's hand."

"That's terrible," Sam conceded, looking deflated. "But what do you want me to do about it?"

"Help us. Tell the pack to be on guard for new vampires in the area. Maybe beef up patrols," I offered.

"These vampires drink human blood," Edward added. "They might even feed in the area."

Sam's brow furrowed. That was such a perfect way to get him to agree, by appealing to his wolf's sense of duty to humanity. _Good idea, babe._

There were a few moments of silence before Sam finally said, "Alright. I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you," Edward replied reverently.

"Why don't you come meet Anthony tomorrow?" I asked, surprising myself. "Maybe then, you'll see he's just a regular little boy. A helpless child who needs all the help he can get."

"Yes, we will," Emily replied quickly and confidently, ignoring the sharp look Sam was giving her. "We'll come tomorrow at eleven."

"Sounds good," I said.

"We can't wait. Anthony loves having visitors," Edward added.

* * *

**Jane POV**

I'd spent two days watching the mundane activities of the Cullens, biding my time until the opportune moment arrived. It was Friday evening in Forks. The child's "parents" had left for the night, and all of the males had just gone out to hunt. The women hung around the living room, watching television, reading books, chattering about nothing. I was bored to tears.

The child looked up at the woman whose screen I'd been watching at the moment—a blond Scandinavian woman named Irina.

"Auntie 'Rina? Where my Thomas pillow?"

Her responding voice was disembodied, since I was watching through her camera. "I don't know, sweetie. Do you remember where you left it?"

The child looked up at her with wide, doe-eyes. If he weren't the prey, I might even think he was cute. "In home," he answered, frowning.

"At the cottage?"

The child nodded sadly. Irina shifted and the camera was now angled at Carlisle's caramel-haired mate.

Esme thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "Just don't let him out of your sight."

"Don't worry, I won't. We'll be back in fifteen minutes. Come on, Anthony. Let's get your Thomas pillow."

As the unsuspecting pair made their way deeper into the woods, I pressed the button to activate her mind-control chip.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for all of your reviews! I appreciate them all, and they are very encouraging. I don't really hold out much hope for replying to them all, especially now that I found out I am pregnant; it appears that forgetfulness has already settled itself into my brain, and it's so hard to keep track of everything! So, my sincerest apologies; I truly love hearing what you have to say!


	6. The Calm Before the Storm

**Chapter 5 - The Calm Before the Storm**

**Edward POV**

As we left the party, I was feeling in a celebratory mood. Sam had reluctantly agreed to help us protect Anthony. I was sure that when he came to meet our son tomorrow, his reservations would melt away; no one could resist our sweet little boy. Judging from Jacob's thoughts, he felt the same way, and we got into the Rabbit, all smiles.

Jacob put the car in gear and started down the long, winding road leading out of the Rez. He was taking it slow, lost in his thoughts. They were scattered; one second he was thinking about Sam and the relief he felt that Anthony would be well-protected, the next he was thinking about his sister getting married to that cretin Paul. I didn't want to hear it anymore, so I decided to distract him.

His eyes focused on the road in front of him, he didn't have time to notice as I moved at vampire speed, leaning over the center console, unzipping his trousers and pulling his thick cock out of its confines. He gasped as the cool air hit his flaccid cock before it was engulfed in my mouth, the curly hairs at the base tickling my nose.

"Edward!" he yelped in surprise. "Do you want me to have an accident?"

His words didn't match his lusty thoughts, so I kept at it, feeling his cock filling quickly in my throat. It had been a few days since I'd blown him; we had been too concerned about Anthony to really think about sex. But now that we were both confident in his safety, our hormones were getting the better of us.

I suckled him desperately until he was at full mast, relishing the taste of him on my tongue. Bobbing up and down, I hollowed out my cheeks for better suction as my hand dipped between his legs to fondle his balls. His breath hitched, and he let out a long moan as I swallowed around him. Suddenly, the car veered off the road and he put it in park, no longer able to focus on driving.

Breathing harshly, his fingers threaded through my hair, gripping the roots roughly, guiding my speed the way he wanted it, his hips canting upward to fuck my face. My own neglected cock pressed uncomfortably against my zipper as I worked him, tugging gently on each of his balls in turn.

"Oh, Edward, so fucking good…gonna cum…" he moaned, just as his sack tightened and his hot cum erupted down my throat. I milked him for all he was worth, sucking him dry. His orgasm seemed to last forever; like I said, it had been a while—at least, for us. When he was spent, his body sagged against the seat, and I drew back, tucking him back into his pants with care. He gazed at me as he caught his breath, his eyes still dark with lust.

"Shit, Edward. That was amazing." _Now it's your turn._

Excited and nearly bursting for his mouth on me, I groaned and leaned back in my seat, palming myself briefly to relieve the pent-up pressure. He smiled at me, but he didn't do what I expected; instead, he put the car back in drive.

"Hey!" I exclaimed as he pulled off the side of the road. "I thought it was my turn!"

Jacob chuckled at my outburst, making me more annoyed. "Yeah, yeah, keep your pants on!" he said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye and flashing his blinding white smile at me. I pouted in reply, crossing my arms indignantly against my chest.

_Calm down, baby. What I want to do is not going to work in a car._

Sighing, I let some of my annoyance go. As much as I was desperate for his attention, I was excited to see what he had planned for me. I hoped it was a good, hard fucking. There was no way to know, though; he was actively blocking me.

Instead of continuing down the road out of the reservation, Jake made a detour, and soon we were pulling up in front of his father's house. His thoughts told me that he couldn't wait until we got home to fuck me, and with the party still underway at the beach, we could get at least a few hours of privacy here.

Wordlessly, he dragged me down the hall to his old room, kicking the door shut behind us and shoving me roughly toward his tiny twin bed. I loved when he got pushy like that. Swiftly, I removed my clothes in a flash, not wanting them to be torn in his rush to get at my body—I wanted to be able to wear something on the way home. He did the same, although he wasn't as smooth as I was about it, and then he launched himself at me, tackling me to the bed. Our tongues tangled desperately, our hands roamed everywhere, our rock-hard cocks rubbed against each other as we writhed.

Eventually, my body needed more—I wanted to feel his mouth on me. As if he could read my mind, he started descending down my torso, licking and nipping along the way. My cock needed his hot mouth so badly, it was painful. He didn't make me wait for it, thank God.

Starting at the base, he dragged his tongue up my length to the tip, oh so slowly. The position of his head caused his chin to trail behind his tongue along the underside of my distended cock. The slight scratching of his five o'clock shadow grazed along my sensitive flesh, sending chills up my spine. I could only whimper at the incredible, pleasurable pain of it. His mind chuckled as he swallowed my cock down as far as he could take it.

_Did you like that?_ "Ngh…yes," I managed to utter.

He chuckled audibly this time, and my toes curled with the vibration. Then, he popped off and did it again, but this time much faster. The sensation of his rough stubble moving swiftly against me was so intense it made me cry out loudly. He looked up at me through his eyelashes and grinned. God, he loved what he could do to me.

"Fuck, Jacob," I whimpered.

He released me from his mouth, making me groan at the loss. He couldn't wait anymore; he needed to feel me from the inside. I wasn't about to argue. Leaning over to his nightstand, he pulled something out of the drawer—a condom and a bottle of lube.

"Ummm…don't tell me you're in heat again," I said, furrowing my brow. That was the only reason he would ever use a condom. I'd made him promise; I did _not_ want to get pregnant again.

He shook his head and smiled as he unwrapped the rubber and rolled it on. Holding his sheathed cock in his hand, he nodded down at it, presenting it to me. The rubber was adorned with bumps and ridges.

"I just wanted to try something a little different. See how the ridges feel for you."

Liking his plan, I responded with a groan as I pulled him down for a passionate kiss. Positioning himself over my prone body as our mouths crashed together again and again, he slowly pressed inside. As his cock gradually invaded me, the sensations of the condom's protrusions overwhelmed me. I felt every inch as he entered me, every little bump teasing my sensitive, fluttering hole. As he made his way inside my body, the bumps that had first teased my entrance then brushed against my prostate, making me convulse beneath him with each pass.

Every stroke of his cock stimulated both my prostate and my ring simultaneously, and I lost any semblance of control I might have had. I was not going to last long. I couldn't hear his thoughts—hell, I couldn't hear my own thoughts. All I could focus on were the bumps and ridges lining his thick, hard cock as he pounded into me mercilessly. He was fucking me within an inch of my life, and I never wanted it to be over. All too soon, my balls tightened and my cock twitched. I came with a feral howl, my cum shooting so far out of the end of my dick that it hit me on the chin. Jacob growled at the sensation of my body squeezing tightly around him and he pummeled my ass, losing all rhythm as his own orgasm shattered his control. Grunting with satisfaction, he collapsed on top of me, but not before he licked my cum from my chin.

Laying together, our limbs tangled, we slowly came down from our incredible high. Jacob fell asleep on top of me, and his heavy, rhythmic breathing lulled me into my own version of blissed-out sleep. Time flew too quickly, and reluctantly, I woke him. We'd been gone much longer than we said we would be, so we had to head back. Besides, Billy would be home soon, and he probably wouldn't appreciate finding us naked and sex-tousled in his son's childhood bedroom. Although, Billy would surely know we had been there by our mixed scents alone.

I took the wheel for the drive home. We drove in silence, just thinking about the bliss we'd just experienced together. As we approached the house, the confused and frightened thoughts of my family began to seep into my head, marring my happiness. Esme's thoughts were the clearest, so I focused on them as I tried to figure out what was going on.

_Don't know how it happened. How could she do this? How could she take our boy?_

Did she mean Anthony? Did somebody get hold of my precious little boy while I'd been stupidly, selfishly fucking my brains out? I accelerated to a dangerous speed, taking the corners so fast that we almost rode on two wheels. Jake gripped onto the door handle tightly, gasping at the sudden change in my driving.

"Fucking hell, Edward! What's gotten into you?!"

I swallowed hard before speaking. "Anthony is missing."

"What?!" he screamed, grabbing a fistful of his own hair and tearing roughly at it. He was thinking that same thing I was—while we were busy having sex, our little boy had been abducted. His thoughts flooded with guilt and horror.

In no time at all, we were at the main house. I didn't bother parking in the garage, or even closing the car door behind me, and I burst through the front door, Jacob hot on my heels. I glanced frantically around the room, taking in the distraught faces around me.

Turning to the vampire closest to me, Esme, I grabbed her shoulders and shook her, screaming, "Where is he, Esme?! Where is my baby?!"

She wasn't bothered by the violence, understanding my distress. Quickly, she filled me in.

"Irina took him to the cottage. He wanted his Thomas pillow. But they never came back. We searched everywhere—there's no sign of them."

Jacob lost control of his legs under the weight of the news, and I caught him in my arms before he collapsed. I held him tightly as he sobbed, mumbling about being too late.

Irina stole our baby. That fucking traitor was working for the Volturi this whole time; it was the only explanation. When we found her, I was going to tear that bitch limb from limb and burn her body to ash.

* * *

**Irina POV**

One minute I'm walking with Anthony to the cottage. The next, I'm trapped in an impenetrable cell. I remember nothing about how I ended up here. It was as though that period of time went up in smoke. I had no idea what happened, but I knew where I was—the strong, musty scent of an ancient foundation, the titanium bars—the only metal strong enough to stand up to a vampire.

I was in Volterra. I was a prisoner. But how? Why?

Panic took hold, and my eyes darted around the cell. Anthony wasn't with me. Had he escaped? Were they holding him, too? Was he dead?

I grabbed hold of the cell bars in my hands and shook them with all my might, but they didn't budge. Throwing my head back, I wailed in despair before shouting, hoping that someone—anyone—would hear.

"_Where is he?! What have you done with him?!_"

* * *

**A/N:** As always, extra special thanks to my amazing betas harrytwifan and remylebeauishot for all of their help! Thank you also for the nice messages of congratulations on my pregnancy, as well as all of the lovely reviews I didn't have time to respond to. I love and appreciate them all!

It appears that I've been nominated for another Emerging Swan Award! This time it's for The Consequence of Heat! Yay!

It must have been nominated while it was still incomplete, because it is located in the **Full length WIP category ****for**Best Vamp Volturi/Nomad/Non-Cullen.

I know you guys enjoyed it, so please show your support, and go vote!

Emergingswanawards DOT blogspot DOT com SLASH p SLASH voting DOT html


	7. A Plan of Action

**Chapter 6 - A Plan of Action**

**Carlisle POV**

Eleazar and I were secluded in my study. While it was difficult to believe that Irina was a spy for the Volturi, there wasn't any other explanation for her actions. We feared that perhaps another among us might be under their influence, unlikely as that may be. I did not want to take any chances however, so while we discussed the broad strokes of the plan with the family as a whole, the finer details would be revealed to as few people as possible. I knew I could trust Eleazar with my life, and Edward would know all of what was said behind these closed doors as well. I was certain that the others would try to eavesdrop, but Eleazar and I were determined to keep our voices quiet and quick, and to write down much of what we needed to discuss.

That morning, a Next-Day-Air envelope had arrived on our doorstep, containing only a single sheet of paper with the message:

_We have that which you desire. Retrieve him while you still can, if you dare._

Obviously, this had frightened us all, especially Anthony's parents and Leah. When we saw the return address from an Italian post office, all suspicions were confirmed. Marcus and Caius were holding my grandson, possibly even causing him harm, to get back at me for my actions against their brother. There was no turning away from this; I had to confront them head-on. They would not rest until they had me, and I would offer myself to them.

Of course, no one agreed to that plan. Instead, Jasper came up with the idea to recruit old friends to stand behind me in defense of my actions against Aro. He was sure, and the rest of my family were in agreement, that the majority of the vampire kingdom wanted the Volturi reign to fall, and that there would be some that may be willing to lay down their lives to make that happen. The plan made me wary—if we were to win against them, that would make me the new ruler of our kind; a fate I never wanted to fall into my lap. But, I would cross that bridge when I came to it. The most important matter at the moment was to get our little boy back.

Feeling a small amount of relief at the tentative plan, Eleazar and I had retired to figure out who we might be able to convince to join us. We each wrote out the names of the vampires we had associated with in the past so that we could point to the name, never having to speak it. That way, no one downstairs would know who we were discussing, save for Edward, of course.

We each took a few moments to write down the names of our friends before splaying out the pages on my desk so that we both could see. My list consisted of a few nomads, my friends in the Amazonian jungle, and an Irish coven that had been kind to me many moons ago. Eleazar's list also contained some nomads, as well as an Egyptian coven that was unknown to me, and the Romanians who were all but eradicated by the Volturi centuries ago.

Pointing to the Romanians, I said, "These will surely stand with us. Aro made it a point to overthrow them in years past; I'm certain they will want revenge."

"Exactly," Eleazar agreed. "They will come. It won't matter if they know you or not. Once they find out the reason, they will join in our stand."

Moving on, Eleazar pointed to the Amazonians. "Do you know their precise location?" I shook my head. "Then we should not waste time with them. It will take too long to find them, and time is of the essence now."

I nodded my assent, pointing next to the Irish folk. "I know this coven well. Their leader took to me in friendship, and treated me as their kin. And they have a member of their coven who can ferret out lies."

Eleazar rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Yes, that will be quite helpful. You should call on them directly."

"I will. What can you tell me about these?" I asked, pointing to the Egyptians.

Eleazar paused, deep in thought for a moment. "Their leader is wary of the Volturi. His progeny is very powerful, a manipulator of nature. He has tried hard to keep the man hidden. However, now that the Volturi have been weakened, he may agree to help us, if only to allow his coven its own freedoms. It is worth a try."

Nodding, I moved on to the final bunch on the list, the nomads.

"They will be hard to find," Eleazar began.

"Indeed they will. I have an idea of the location of this one…" I said, pointing out an old Revolutionary, Garrett. "And, these two are friends of Jasper—he may know where they are," I explained, indicating Peter and Charlotte.

"I may be able to find this one, but I'm not sure of the others. We don't have the time to waste, however," Eleazar said, pointing to Alistair as the one he might be able to find. I knew Alistair too; he was a shifty sort, fearful of being close to others—a solitary creature. If Eleazar could convince him to join us, I would be very surprised.

It was decided. We would call on the Romanians, Irish, and Egyptian covens, while also attempting to locate the four nomads. Combined with our two covens and a smattering of wolves, we would be formidable opponents. My spirits began to lift.

"And where shall we tell them to meet us?" I asked, trying to calculate a meeting point that was both close enough, and far enough, away from Volterra.

Eleazar grinned from ear to ear, writing down SWITZERLAND in capital cursive letters. "What better place, eh?"

* * *

**Caius POV**

Marcus, Jane and I were glued to the screens in the control room, watching with mirth as the Cullens fretted over the loss of the young one. It amused me to see the big brown man lose it like a baby, blubbering uncontrollably. Even better was when they received our envelope. I had wanted to include one of the little boy's fingers or toes with the letter, but Marcus flat-out refused; he was really opposed to injuring the "innocent," as he called him. Innocent, my ass. The child was an aberration. But Jane had surprisingly felt endeared to the boy; maybe he reminded her of Alec, with his wide eyes and boyish features. So, I was overruled, though I was sure to gripe about it at every opportunity.

Marcus felt the letter was enough to get them to come to Volterra, and he kept the boy secluded in a posh little room, with a few vampires under strict orders to guard the door. I guess he didn't really trust me, although I couldn't blame him too much for that. Instead, I got some enjoyment out of harassing the female in the dungeon. She begged me to tell her what happened to the boy, and I took pleasure in relaying stories of torture that made her scream and cry and shake with fear and guilt. It was very satisfying.

We watched as the Cullens and the Denalis tried to sort out what to do. Currently, Carlisle and Eleazar were conspicuously absent. No doubt, they feared that another family member might be a spy for us, so the details of the rescue were being discussed away from the majority. All that the others knew was that they were deciding which friends to call to stand with them against us. I scoffed at the notion that anyone would come to their aid; very few vampires dared to confront us, especially on our own territory. I doubted they would have much, if any, success with recruiting.

On screen, there was a knock at the door, and the brown man sighed, looking at the clock.

"Shit, I forgot they were coming."

He went to open the door, and returned with an even larger brown man and a horribly scarred woman of the same color. She was hard to look at. They asked after the child, and were instantly filled in on the kidnapping. The scarred woman began to cry, and another brown woman went to hug her, crying equally hard. The large brown man—Sam, as he was called—said something about allowing a part of a pack to go with the Cullens overseas. The fathers of the child were extremely grateful, and Sam asked the brown one to go with him.

Carmen, the woman whose screen I'd been watching, followed the two men to the door and watched them leave for the woods. And then, the most amazing thing happened. The men became wolves in midair, dashing off into the forest. The men became wolves.

_Werewolves. _

Jane looked sharply at me, knowing my disdain for all things canine. I flashed her a toothy grin—there was nothing I loved more than eradicating fleabag dogs, and they would be coming, right here to my doorstep.

* * *

**Anthony POV**

I was in a strange place. It was old and smelly and cold. The people who lived there were kind of like my daddy, but they had red eyes. Daddy told me that people with red eyes were dangerous; that they would hurt me, and I had to stay away from them. But I couldn't stay away from them—they were the only people around here.

Mostly, they left me alone in my room. The room that was mine was okay; the walls were white and the bed wasn't too lumpy. There were a few old toys and puzzles in there, but it was boring. I wished there was TV. The older man with black hair brought me food that tasted pretty good. They didn't have a potty, but the man left me a pot to go pee in. The man—Marcus, he said to call him—was nice to me. He said he wouldn't hurt me, and he would make sure no one else would either. I believed him. It was better than just being scared all the time.

I wondered what happened to Auntie 'Rina. It was weird, what happened. I didn't understand. We went to go get my Thomas pillow, but before we could get it, Auntie 'Rina stood still like a statue, right there in the woods. I had tugged on her hand, but she didn't look at me. She just stared, like she saw something I couldn't see. Then she picked me up and ran; she ran so far and so long, and when I asked her where we were going, she didn't answer. She never said anything. She brought me to an airplane. It was big, but we were the only ones riding it. I never got on a plane before, and I was scared, but I tried to be brave. When we got to where I am now, Marcus brought me to this room, and a yellow-haired man brought Auntie 'Rina someplace else. I haven't seen her again. I hoped she was okay. I missed her.

I didn't know how long I was there, but I was lonely and bored. I wanted my daddy to read me books and my papa to play horsey with me. I wanted my Grammy to make me cookies and my Auntie Rosie to sing me songs. No one did those things here. I was sad. My eyes got we,t and I sniffled, thinking about my family. I hoped they would come get me soon.

I heard footsteps in the hall and then my door opened. Marcus and the yellow-haired man came inside. Marcus gave me a nice smile, but the other man just looked at me mean. It made me cry more.

"I want my daddy," I whined, wiping my cheeks.

The man with the yellow hair looked at me with narrow eyes and a curled lip.

"Is your daddy a wolf, child?" he asked. His voice was really, really mean.

"No, my daddy a vamper. My papa a wolf."

The man smiled when I said that and whispered something to Marcus that I didn't understand. Then he left me alone with Marcus, still smiling. But he didn't look happy…there was something wrong about his smile.

Turning to face Marcus, I asked, "When will Daddy come?"

Marcus knelt down and gave me a hug. His cold arms reminded me of home, and I snuggled against his chest.

"Soon, child. Soon he will come for you."

* * *

**A/N:** There will now be a brief hiatus…I'm moving at the end of this month, and then have a vacation planned the first week of October. I hope you'll all stick with me after the short break!

Voting is opening really soon in the Slash Backslash 4.0 contest! I've written an entry for it; I wonder if you can figure out which is mine? Regardless, there are a lot of wonderful entries—head on over and read them, and vote for your favorite when the time comes!

slashbackslash DOT livejournal DOT com


	8. The Alps

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who left a review on the last chapter! At this point, after moving and vacationing, I have no clue who I replied to and who I didn't, so my apologies if I missed you. All reviews are always appreciated!

I hope it hasn't been too long since the last update...I tried to recap some stuff here through Leah's eyes to help with the time gap. I'm excited to be posting again! I changed a couple of things after my betas read it over, so any mistakes are all mine.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The Alps**

**Leah POV**

It only took Carlisle and Eleazar about twelve hours to contact their fellow vampires and secure a private plane that would fit all of us. Then we were in the air, off to Zurich, Switzerland to get our beloved boy back. Those twelve hours of waiting were probably the longest of my life.

I felt lost without my imprint. My heart felt like it was rendered into a million pieces, and each piece throbbed and burned in my chest, trying to find a way to knit itself back together. It was so much worse than when Sam left me for Emily. Actually, I now understood how he was able to do that—the pain of being apart from your imprint was incapacitating. I couldn't speak; I couldn't eat. All I could do was curl up in the fetal position on the floor and "watch" what was going on around me, though I saw little. I'm sure my eyes were vacant to everyone who looked.

People were worried about me—Rosalie and Seth took turns sitting beside me, stroking my hair in a comforting gesture. The normal me would have shoved them away—what was I, some kind of doll?—but I didn't have the strength or the will to do anything anymore. The only thing that got me through those endless hours was the knowledge that I would find my boy soon and make him safe again. At least, I hoped so. If Anthony was dead…no, I couldn't think of that.

On the private plane, I felt slightly better. I was that much closer to getting my imprint back—that's what I kept telling myself. Currently, we were more than halfway through our trip, and the plane was jam-packed. We had made a stop somewhere in the Midwest, I think, to pick up two red-eyed vamps that were apparently friends of Jasper's. They joined Jasper at the front of the aircraft, talking to Emmett and Rosalie through the open door of the cockpit. Apparently either Emmett or Rosalie had a pilot's license, because one of them was flying this thing.

I glanced around at the faces surrounding me. Esme and Alice were engaged in conversation with Kate, Tanya and Carmen, but they were talking too quietly and too quickly for me to understand them. Their faces were etched with concern and worry though. Carlisle and Eleazar also spoke in hushed tones, but their conversation was decipherable. Apparently, an Irish coven had been unreachable in time for this meeting. Carlisle was disappointed; it seemed that one of their coven members had the ability to detect lies, which would have been useful.

Poor Edward and Jacob were tightly entwined in each other's arms, dejectedly looking out the window, their faces absent of any emotion, their eyes hollow and empty. Their agony had drained them; they were unkempt and unwashed, not caring about their appearance. Jacob's cheeks were tear-stained, and the shadows under his eyes belied what little sleep he'd gotten. I was certain I looked in a similar state.

As for the wolves, obviously Seth, Embry and Quil came along. They were joined by Sam and Paul. Sam had left Jared in charge of the younger wolves back home, claiming it was a job for a Beta wolf. But really, Jared was a pretty bad match for Edward and Jake, so it was a good idea to leave him behind. I'm sure Paul would have liked to stay behind too, but he was a strong wolf, and now that he was marrying Jacob's sister, he kind of had an obligation to help.

Not wanting to engage anyone, I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep. I'm sure I wasn't fooling anyone, but they left me alone, thankfully.

Finally, the plane started its descent, and we landed in a small airport somewhere outside of Zurich. Once we all deplaned, we piled into a couple of vans and drove up into the mountains a bit, away from the human population. After we had driven for almost two and a half hours through treacherous, icy terrain, we all got out and began to make our way to the rendezvous point that Eleazar had mapped out for us, halfway up the mountain range. It was fucking freezing in these mountains, even in our wolf forms. Why couldn't these goddamn vamps think about us for five seconds? Sure, we have fur coats, but it wasn't enough, damn it.

_Just keep running_, Jake directed us. _Think of warm, tropical beaches. Hot sun..._

The minds of Sam and Paul were present in our mental link too, now that they had allied themselves with Jacob, but I was sure it was only temporary. Still, it was comforting to know that we would all be on the same page during the rescue.

After what felt like forever, the scent of vampire quadrupled in the air, making my nostrils burn. I hadn't quite gotten used to the Cullens' rancid aroma, but the scents of these new bloodsuckers was far worse than theirs—maybe it was because they drank human blood. Breaking through the tree line, we came to a halt when the large group of leeches awaiting our arrival came into view. They made no move to attack us, so these were, apparently, the "friendly" ones.

Introductions were made, and the vampires seemed leery of the wolves' presence there. As Carlisle explained who we were and that we were allies of the Cullens, I took a look at the strange group before me. There were four Middle-Eastern vamps, two men and two women, all gorgeous, all youthful, save for one, who looked to be their leader. There was a white guy with a ponytail who looked like he was from that Mel Gibson movie The Patriot…he probably was that old, although he didn't look it, of course. There was a lone older guy who looked seriously shady, and Jasper's two friends who were with us on the plane. And there were two really fucking old dudes who reminded me of the Cryptkeeper from Tales From the Crypt.

Finally, Carlisle laid out the reason for the meeting. He explained about Edward's pregnancy, which met with mixed reactions from the group. When he got to Aro's attempt to abduct him, there was outrage amongst the red-eyed vampires, though none were surprised. But when Carlisle recounted the fight that ensued, which had led to Carlisle killing the old coot, a hush fell over the crowd. The silence was deafening, and I began to worry that they would turn on us; that maybe they had some kind of secret allegiance with the Volturi that Carlisle hadn't known about. I quickly dismissed that concern when they all began to cheer and congratulate Carlisle, slapping him on the back and whooping for the renewed freedom from the oppressive rule of the Italians. The two old dudes seemed especially pleased.

Carlisle soon quieted them down, clearly embarrassed by their raucous display.

"Thank you, everyone. I am glad you are pleased with this turn of events. But I'm afraid that the death of Aro has not put an end to the Volturi's reign of terror. The remaining members of the triad, as well as the formidable force that is Jane, are out for revenge. They have abducted the child, and we ask for your help to get him back and defeat the Italians once and for all. Will you stand with us?"

Without hesitation, the two old dudes and The Patriot guy allied themselves with us. Jasper's friends also agreed quickly, coming to stand next to their old friend in a show of solidarity. The young Middle-Eastern man seemed ready to stand with us, but the older man held him back, and the four of them huddled together to discuss the pros and cons. Meanwhile, the old shifty guy stepped forward.

"Carlisle, you are an old friend, but I am sorry. I will not stand with you."

Carlisle simply nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile, sticking out his hand to the man. Cautiously, the man shook it, and Carlisle clasped the hand with his free one as he spoke.

"Alistair, I do not hold this against you. Always know that I am here if you need me."

Alistair looked down at his feet and nodded. He seemed to be ashamed of himself, and I fucking hoped he was. Carlisle released him then, and in a flash, he was gone. Seriously, the Doc was way too nice. I'd have punched that asshole.

Finally, the older Middle-Eastern guy stepped forward.

"Amun?" Carlisle asked.

"My dear friend, I have always wanted to rid the world of Aro Volturi—"

"Here, here!" cried one of the Cryptkeepers.

"—and I am so thankful that you had the courage to do it. You know, he was always after my Benjamin…"

"Yes," Carlisle agreed. "Benjamin is immensely talented. I'm sure Aro would have killed to secure him in the Guard."

"He would, and he has. But now, he is no longer a threat to my coven. For this reason, we fight with you. However, I will not allow our women to stand with us. It is not a woman's place to do such things."

I couldn't help but huff at that. How could he hold these immortal, powerful women to the rules of the human Muslim world? It was ridiculous. If Carlisle felt similarly, he didn't show it.

"I understand completely, Amun. Thank you for agreeing to help us."

It was soon decided that we would make our way through the wilderness to Volterra, travelling by night. Stopping during the day kept the vampires from being seen in sunlight, but also gave the wolves time to rest. Seeing as it was around noon at that moment, the plan was to begin our travels at nightfall. That would allow us wolves to sleep off some of our jet-lag, and the vampires to feed before the trip. There was no way I was getting any sleep, though. There was too much to think about, too much to worry about. We were so close to getting Anthony back—I just wanted to leave now.

As the vampires left to go hunting (and I did my best not to dwell on the fact that the red-eyes were going in search of innocent people to kill), I watched as Jacob nuzzled and licked Edward good-bye. Edward rewarded him with a scratch behind the ear, a quick kiss to the top of his head, and a promise to return in a couple of hours. The vampires all disappeared into the woods, but Esme hung back. It was then that I noticed for the first time that she carried a giant rucksack with her. She approached our pack as we huddled together for extra warmth, all hoping to get a bit of shut-eye.

Kneeling down beside me, she unzipped the pack and said, "I thought you guys might get hungry, so I made a beef stew before we left." She pulled a huge crockpot and some plastic bowls from the rucksack. "Oh! It's still warm too. I knew this crockpot was a good buy."

Swiftly, she filled a bowl for each of us, placing them before our muzzles. It _was_ still warm; in fact, it was steaming. And it smelled absolutely delicious. My stomach rumbled loudly—I hadn't realized how hungry I was. Jacob nudged her shoulder with his muzzle in thanks.

"You're welcome," Esme replied, smiling in satisfaction. "Enjoy! I'm going off to join the others now. Try to get some sleep afterward, okay? We have a long night of running ahead of us."

Esme disappeared into the trees and we dug in. We were ravenous, and we ate sloppily, thinking of nothing but how damn good it tasted. After a few bowls of the stew, my mind got really cloudy. The thoughts of the others made absolutely no sense to me anymore. I don't know if I was falling into some kind of food coma, or if the lack of sleep was finally catching up to me, but whatever it was, I didn't care. Black spots clouded my vision and my eyelids felt like there were a hundred pound weights attached to them. I gave up quickly, succumbing to sleep, my brother nestled against one side of me, my Alpha huddled against the other.

Some time later, I was jolted awake by the sounds of wretched screams. Frantically, through sleep-weary eyes, I sought the leadership of my Alpha, but he was no longer by my side. In fact, he was nowhere to be seen. Glancing around at the other wolves, all pulled from their slumber and looking equally panicked, I met my brother's eyes. Seth was frightened. The sounds I was hearing began to register more clearly as the fog of sleep lifted. They weren't screams, but rather wails of anguish. My gaze landed on Edward and the Doc, locked in a desperate embrace, sobbing tearlessly on one another's shoulders. It only took a moment to realize what was going on; the only reason they would be acting this way.

Jacob and Esme were gone.

* * *

**A/N:** Many thanks, as always, to my lovely and wonderful betas, remylebeauishot and harrytwifan.


	9. Pawns in the Game

**A/N: **My thanks, as always, to my incredible beta team - harrytwifan and remylebeauishot.

**Chapter 8 - Pawns in the Game**

**Esme POV**

From the moment I regained consciousness, I knew where I was. I'd never been there before, but there was no mistaking it. The tiny, barren room was damp and dark, and though it didn't bother my skin, it was freezing cold. I opened my eyes to find myself lying face down on a cobblestone floor, which was crumbling with age. My surroundings reeked of mildew, mingled with the trace scents of the many vampires that had been confined here before me.

Another aroma was prominent, and it came from my own clothes. I was awash in the scent of werewolf. As I rose to my feet, dusting myself off and trying to orient myself, I wondered why the smell of Jacob was so heavy, clinging to me. There was another strong scent nearby, a vampire that I recognized but couldn't place in my confusion. I made my way nearer to the bars of my cell, when the vampire spoke.

"Esme?" the female voice asked timidly. "Are you awake?"

"Irina?" I replied in wonder, recognizing her voice immediately. Relief washed over me, knowing that she was alright. And then I remembered...

Clenching the cell bars with both hands, I saw her, dirty and disheveled, mimicking my stance in the cell across from mine. I was overcome with a sudden rage, shaking the bars in my fury. "What did you do with my grandson?" I hissed accusingly.

Her head shook automatically, her widened black eyes begging me to listen. "Nothing, I swear! I came here the same way you did. One second I was walking Anthony to the cottage, the next I was locked up in this cell. I scream and scream for him, but no one answers. I haven't seen anyone the whole time I've been here. The first time anyone came down here was a few hours ago, when they dropped you off, unconscious. I knew then that this had to be part of some master plan. I think...I think they want..."

"Carlisle," I said, my voice a harsh whisper. She nodded solemnly. Just as he'd suspected. The remaining Volturi wanted revenge. And what better way to draw out my husband than first by taking his grandson, then by taking me?

We were silent for a long time as we contemplated our future, or lack thereof. There was no doubt in my mind when Carlisle realized my absence, his immediate conclusion would be that I had been abducted. Who knows how long I'd been unconscious for? I was sure he was already on his way here, headed straight for certain death. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat. I could not afford to show weakness. For all I knew, the Volturi were surveying me at this very moment. Instead, I sought to calm myself—my husband knew what he was heading toward; he would not be rash in his recovery of me. Thankfully, he was surrounded by family and friends who would help guide him through this.

Eventually, Irina spoke, her voice broken with despair.

"Everyone thinks I was working with them, don't they?"

My gaze rose to meet hers—her eyes were enormous black pools of hunger. All I could do was nod. Her face crumpled and her shoulders heaved with dry sobs. I wished I could wrap my arms around her, to comfort her.

Suddenly, there was a scraping sound, like metal against metal. Both of our heads whipped in the direction of the noise—the door at the end of the hall was creaking open.

Even through the darkness, I could clearly see the face of the figure entering the hall of the prison. Although I had never met her in person, the young girl's features were familiar. She looked like a feminine version of the boy we killed, Alec. This was, without doubt, his twin sister, Jane—one of the Volturi's most fearsome assets. Internally, I was panicked with the knowledge of what she could do to me, but I fought to keep my face blank.

The small girl in the flowing robe stopped directly in front of my cell, looking up into my stoic eyes with a cruel smirk. Every fiber of my being wanted to shrink away, but I stood my ground, unflinching, and unmoving. She stared at me for some time, never breaking eye contact, willing me to speak first. I was determined not to, returning her stare with a steely resolve.

Irina was the one to break the weighty silence. "Please," she begged pathetically. "I'm so thirsty."

Jane whirled on her heel to face Irina, and in less than a second, my poor friend was writhing on the ground, shrieking in pain. Suppressing a moan of sympathy, I cringed, shutting my eyes to her pain. Suddenly, the wailing stopped.

"Shut up, you insipid creature," Jane said, the sneer on her face clear in her voice. By the time she turned back to face me, I had resumed my composure.

"Do you know where you are, woman?" Jane demanded.

Not dignifying the question with an answer, I asked one of my own. "What have you done with my grandson?" I was proud that my tone did not waver.

The sprite vampire smiled broadly. "Oh, don't you worry about your precious freak child. Marcus has him well protected. It's your pet you should be worried about."

My pet? Jane read the confusion in my eyes and decided to enlighten me. "Your dog, you idiot."

The question came out before I could stop it. "Jacob? Jacob is here, too?"

"Of course he is," she replied, rolling her eyes. "You brought him here."

"What are you talking about? I didn't bring him here! You abducted me!"

Jane sighed dramatically. "I guess I might as well tell you. It's not as though you'll be leaving here alive. We've been watching your coven, Cullen. We've been listening—we know exactly what Carlisle did. We know he murdered Aro. We know you all had a hand in killing our friends, my brother…"

Anger boiled in her eyes when she mentioned her brother, and she paused to calm herself. A million questions ran through my mind—how were they keeping tabs on us? How did they know so much?

I didn't get much chance to reflect. Composed now, Jane's irritating smirk returned. "We have a team of scientists working for us, and they developed a way for us to watch your every move, and control you individually as we see fit. We made her," Jane pointed toward Irina's cell, "bring the child to us, but we became impatient. Besides, once we saw the evidence of your wolf friends, confirmed by your grandson, I might add, Caius could not resist the urge to acquire one. We could have made any one of the women bring the wolf boy to Volterra, but it seemed most appropriate if it was you—Carlisle's mate and the maternal figure that the wolf trusts so much."

"But how?" I asked, taken aback. "How are you controlling my will?"

Jane laughed openly at me. "If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret now, would it? Suffice it to say, we made you drug the wolves with a tranquilizer in the food you so kindly prepared for them. When the coast was clear, you became our tool to carry the sleeping wolf here to Volterra."

I could do nothing but stare at her as I tried to process what she was telling me. She continued, "We've been privy to every moment of your plans. We know exactly where your little army is at this precise moment. They think they have the element of surprise, the fools. Now, of course, they are a total mess. Carlisle and Edward are inconsolable, and the wolves are lost without their leader." Jane chuckled darkly as she took in my horrified expression. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

I ignored her attempt to rile me. There was nothing I could do from inside this cell—my hands were tied in terms of my family and friends. Jane had assured me that Anthony was alright, and there was not much I could do but trust that they would not harm an innocent child. Instead, I glanced around my cell, peeking through the bars down the hall of the barren prison, even though I knew there was no one there but me, Irina and Jane. Jane's eyes followed mine, her brow quirking in amusement. Finally, I looked back at her, my expression fixed back in that blank stare.

"Where is Jacob now?"

She snickered. "Oh, Caius is taking good care of him, I assure you."

A visible tremor shook my body. Caius hated werewolves. I shuddered to think of what torture he might be inflicting on my surrogate son at this very moment. Jane laughed heartily at my obvious fear for Jacob. Her high-pitched peals of laughter abruptly cut off though, catching my full attention. She glared at me now, her eyes narrowed almost to slits.

"I want you to tell me what happened to my brother, Esme."

I just stared at her, refusing to give her what she wanted. She used me as a pawn in their little game—used me to bring Jacob to certain death, used me as a lure for my own husband. And Lord knows what they'd done with the baby. I would never give her the satisfaction of closure.

My silence was costly. White hot flames consumed me, melting me from the inside out. I clawed at my stone flesh, trying to extinguish the agonizing pain. The only sounds were my own anguished screams and the cruel chuckles of the demonic vampire who imprisoned me in the fire.

* * *

**Jacob POV**

I opened my eyes to a circular room made of white-washed stone. Even with my overheated skin, I was freezing. The place absolutely reeked of vampire, making my nose itch. I moved to rub it with the back of my hand, but my hand wouldn't budge. Panicked, I realized that my wrists were bound in shackles, my arms outstretched, secured by chains to the walls on either side of me. My ankles were secured in much the same way; my feet flat on the floor, but spread apart and secured tightly by taut steel chains.

I felt the shackles, but could only see them through my peripheral vision, as a cool metal collar was fastened around my neck. I tried to move my head, but the collar was tight, constricting my airway if I moved too much. The metal of the chains that held my head upright was brushing against my cheeks. All I could do was face forward so that I stared straight ahead. The collar chains seemed to be fastened to the ceiling of the room.

I was naked too, which made sense, since the last thing I remembered was falling asleep in the Alps after eating Esme's delicious stew in my wolf form, Seth and Leah flanking my sides. Where were they now? Where was Edward? Where was _I_?

Before I had time to think about it, I heard a door open behind me, a cool gust of air whooshing into the room, making me shiver. The pungent scent of vampire was overwhelming as the leech slowly made his way around me, until we came face to face. His pale skin was papery and nearly translucent, just like Aro's had been. His filmy eyes glowed red, and his deceptively youthful face was framed with shoulder-length, silvery blond hair.

The vampire's lips curled into a sneer. "The canine awakens," he murmured, stroking my cheek with one ice cold finger. I tried to jerk away, but the collar around my neck left me no room to move. The vampire chuckled once.

I shot questions at him rapid-fire, hoping to overwhelm him. "Where the fuck am I?" I demanded. "Where is Edward? What do you want from me?"

His sneer grew into a smirk. "So many questions."

"Answer me, leech!" I growled, rage building inside me. I felt my skin bristle and my bones stretch with my impending phase, but the shackles were too tight, preventing my bone structure from changing, causing my skin to press against the metal painfully. The wolf retreated back inside, and I gasped. The blond vampire chuckled, shaking his head at me.

"Oh, you cannot change, boy. It would be very unwise of me, to allow it. Do you think I am a fool?"

"I don't know who you are," I spat back.

"You can consider me the eradicator of canine vermin. There was a time when it was my mission to destroy all werewolves; I thought them to be extinct. Until I found out about you and your friends. Since you are among the last, I'm going to enjoy your death. Make it last."

"I'm not a werewolf! I'm a shifter!" I argued.

The vampire grinned, his teeth glinting under the light of the bright bulb hanging from the ceiling.

"Don't patronize me, boy."

He reached inside his robes and pulled out a whip with many tails, like the kind I'd seen in sex shops—cat o' nine tails, I think they were called. Only each tail on this whip had sharp metal blades on the ends.

Internally, I panicked. In this position, I was completely prone, every part of me at the mercy of the razor-tipped fronds of that whip. I couldn't protect myself. All I could do was hope that someone else was here, someone who could hear me, save me. Edward…

"Help!" I cried out as loudly as I could. "Anybody! This fucking bloodsucker is crazy!"

The blond vampire's expression turned dark, and he clapped his disgusting hand over my mouth.

"Silence! No one will come for you. If you continue to scream, you will only upset your little half-breed. He isn't far—he will hear every cry."

Everything clicked into place at once. I was a prisoner in Volterra. I was in the presence of one of Aro's comrades. Anthony was here and, apparently, alive.

And I would have to endure this vampire's sadistic torture in silence if I didn't want to scar my son for life. So, I gritted my teeth and closed my eyes as the vampire let the first lash fly.

* * *

**A/N:** I think it's fairly obvious at this point that I am no longer able to stick to a regular posting schedule. My current pregnancy is kicking my butt and taking all of my energy, and now with the holidays approaching, I doubt I will have a lot of time. That being said, I do have a plan for the outcome of this story, and I WILL finish it. I will use any pockets of time that I can to write, as it is my de-stresser. So, don't worry, it will be completed...it's just not going to be updated weekly any longer. Of course, there is no chance that my betas will let me go very long with urging me to post again! Thank you all so much for your readership.


	10. Suspicion

**Chapter 9 - Suspicion**

**EDWARD'S POV**

Jacob was gone. Esme was gone. And Carlisle and I were a pair of broken souls. How does one go on when their mate is lost? My father and I had become empty shells of ourselves once we'd discovered our mates missing. When Esme never joined us on our hunt, we knew something was wrong. Hearing Carlisle's concern, I'd followed him back to camp, only to find no evidence of Esme, and a pile of heavily sleeping wolves, sans Jacob.

Carlisle immediately scented sedatives flowing through the wolves' veins—someone had obviously drugged them and stolen Jacob while they slept. But how had they overpowered Esme? Even if she'd been caught by surprise, it would have been difficult for someone to kidnap a vampire. Unless…what had happened with our mates was a mirror of what had happened to Irina and my son.

As my father and I held each other and wept for our tremendous losses, our minds whirled; my own thoughts combining with Carlisle's so that I could no longer tell which were his and which were my own as we searched our brains for an answer. The only conclusion we continuously came to was that this was the Volturi's doing, but how?

The rest of our party eventually returned, and there was an uproar as the wolves awoke and minds reeled with the shock of our missing comrades. The vampires argued and accused one another, even pointing fingers at the wolf pack; rationale was thrown out the window—the clearing in the Swiss mountains was in chaos. Everyone figured there was a traitor in our midst. And everyone was suspicious of each other, especially the Romanians, but I knew their minds—their consciences were clear. No one here was involved, and finally, I couldn't take the accusations and distrust anymore.

"Stop!" I screamed, my eyes wild in my grief. "No one here is responsible. Esme and Jake have simply disappeared."

Liam of the Irish coven huffed. "And how do you know that, mate?"

"I can read each and every one of your minds," I replied, "and no one here is responsible for their disappearance."

Carlisle spoke up then. "Friends, I know how distressing this is to you all. No doubt, it is most distressing to myself, and to Edward, who has now lost two who are dear to him. This is the Volturi's doing." Carlisle hung his head and added balefully, "It's me they want." Raising his head, he looked me in the eye. "I'm so sorry, Edward. This is all my fault. If I hadn't killed Aro, Jake and Anthony and…Esme would still be here."

I shook my head at his apology. "It's not your fault, Carlisle. If you hadn't killed Aro, Anthony would never have been born in the first place, and I would more than likely be dead."

Carlisle nodded, unable and unwilling to deny the truth in my statement.

Benjamin spoke then. "Perhaps the Volturi have some new vampire in their ranks that can control our minds? See over great distances to know that Esme had been alone and vulnerable for a few moments?"

It was as good an idea as any of us could come up with, and it gave me hope that our mates were still alive. Of course, there was no way to know for sure. All we could do now was work out a clear plan to infiltrate Volterra as swiftly as possible; not just to save Anthony, but to save our mates as well.

My belly twisted to think what horrible things they might do to my Jacob...Caius was known to hate all things canine. Would he torture him? Rape him? Mutilate him? Burn his beautiful tan skin? It was all possible, and I would put none of it past the fiend. I had to get there before he injured my husband too badly, or killed him, God forbid. I was confident Anthony would be held as bait, but I had no such confidence for Jacob's fate.

The thought of never seeing his perfect face, holding his body close to mine, his strong, calloused hands caressing me as I kissed his plump lips and breathed in his manly scent again, was swiftly turning my sadness to absolute rage.

First, they take my baby; now, they take my mate. All in the name of revenge. Honestly, what was wrong with an eye for an eye? Why had they not come directly after Carlisle? Why go for his loved ones..._my _loved ones? It made no sense.

But they would pay for what they'd done. And I was going to be the one to make them.

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**WILHELM'S POV**

When I was a human, I was a gifted young scientist, just wetting my feet in the medical field. I had focused on microbiology and physiology; my dream in life being to find a cure for cancer.

That dream was cut short one night when I was working late in my lab. It was very late, and I don't recall exactly what project was keeping me there past normal operating hours; my memory of my human life was fuzzy, with many details missing.

What I do remember though, was a middle-aged man in a long black robe entering the abandoned laboratory. I think he may have spoken a few words to me; I only remember being frightened by his wardrobe, yet entranced by his surprising good looks. The next thing I knew was intense pain that seemed endless, and when it ended, I was no longer a human, but a _vampire_.

As a man of science, this was a shocking discovery, and it may have driven me insane had it not been for the jubilation of Roberto, a newborn engineer changed the same day as I had been, and the kindness that Marcus, the vampire who changed me, had shown me. He helped us learn to live and feed as vampires do, and after about a year, we were able to control our murderous impulses enough to focus on other things besides drinking blood.

It was then that Roberto and I were approached by Jane, and ordered to devise a contraption that could both spy on vampires unawares and essentially entice one to come to Volterra willingly, but without their knowledge. We didn't ask questions; we had been well warned by some of our comrades of Jane's vicious powers and did not want to be on the receiving end of them. Besides, what choice did we really have? We were essentially slaves to these ancient beings.

It took us a long time to work out the best tool for their use, but eventually, we presented them with our camera-equipped robotic mosquitoes with a remote-release mind control pheromone. Our leaders were beyond pleased, and once we taught them how it worked, they inducted us into the ranks of their Guard, and we were readily accepted amongst them.

When the woman and the young child arrived, the first victims of our device, I felt great shame. They had taken control of a little boy, and it was my fault. What could they possibly want with him? What would they do to him?

It was eating me up inside, so when I found Marcus alone in the library later that day, I inquired as to their intentions with the child.

"The child is merely bait and will remain unharmed," Marcus has assuaged me. "Fear not, Wilhelm, for his safety. While the boy is under my protection, no one will dare lay a finger on him." Then, the ancient vampire detailed what he knew of the strange circumstance of the child's birth. Two men bearing a child, one of which a vampire, was greatly intriguing to me. "That was the reason our brother Aro went to see the Cullens," Marcus explained, "to learn more of the child's miraculous conception. Instead, he was met with death, and that is why we are holding the child; to draw out our brother's murderer." I left the library feeling confident the child would be kept in good health, but I desperately wanted to see him for myself, to see the product of such an odd and unlikely union.

All I had to do was wax scientific about the boy's birth, and Marcus granted me permission to visit him. Perhaps the old man thought I might learn something that may be of use to him later; I was simply curious.

Carefully, I placed the key in the lock and turned. The door creaked open, and I slid inside, leaving the door slightly ajar. On the bed sat the child, Anthony; his vibrant green eyes shining, and his caramel-skinned forehead creased with a steely resolve as he glared at me.

Stepping closer, I addressed him. "Hello, Anthony. My name is Wilhelm. I am a friend of Marcus, a scientist."

Anthony stood up from the edge of the bed but did not approach me. His hard glare never wavered, and when he spoke, his tone was fierce.

"Where is my Papa?" he asked, although it was more a statement than a question.

"I'm sure he is looking for you as we speak, child."

Anthony shook his head, disbelieving. "I know he's here. I heard him cry Daddy's name."

As far as I knew, the father was the one they were attempting to lure. Thus, he could not possibly be here yet, or I was sure I would have heard about it. Perhaps the child was delusional from being held in this room.

"No, Anthony. Your papa isn't here."

Clearly unhappy with my response, Anthony balled his hands into fists at his sides; they were clenched so tightly his arms began to vibrate. The vibration spread up his limbs until his entire person trembled, his icy glare boring a hole into me. I felt a spark of fear, then admonished myself internally. I was a vampire—no child's tantrum could harm me.

"You're a liar!" Anthony spat, and the lights began to flicker.

The coincidence unnerved me, and I thought it best to leave the child alone. Quickly turning on my heel, I slid out the door and slammed it shut behind me, making sure to lock it with the key.

"Liar! Where's my Papa?!" Anthony screamed from behind the door.

The lights in the hallways were now flickering violently along with the boy's anger. Ready to hightail it out of there, I ran down the hallway, the bulbs bursting in quick succession behind me, sending sparks flying.

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**A/N:** Happy New Year! Is anyone still out there, I wonder? If you are still enjoying this story, let me know and leave me some love :) A debt of gratitude is owed to my fabulous and incredibly speedy betas harrytwifan and remylebeauishot. Love you ladies!


	11. Author's Note

Hello, dear readers!

I apologize for the lack of updates to this story. Please know that I do have an outline for how it is going to end. However, I am having a very difficult pregnancy which does not allow me to sit at a computer for long periods of time. Once the baby is born next month, I hope to be able to continue on with this story. A Clash of Covens has seen a lot of new interest via favorites, alerts and reviews in the last 2 months, so I wanted to just drop you a note to let you know that I have not forgotten this story, and I have every intention of completing it.

Thank you for your patience and support!


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